


Glasses

by DemonPoxHerondale



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29813583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonPoxHerondale/pseuds/DemonPoxHerondale
Summary: Law school had always been difficult, but Alex was pretty sure all his professors had banded together to murder him this week. He picked up his coffee mug and went to take a sip, only to realize it was empty. With a groan, he stood up to head into the kitchen and was met with a sickening crack as he put his foot down. He froze, and then he slowly picked up his foot and looked down. “Fuck,” he repeated. His glasses were laying in pieces on the carpet, the frames bent beyond recognition, one arm snapped off and one lens popped out. He had an essay due at midnight, a midterm tomorrow, and a debate to prepare for as well. He was going to have a hell of a time getting all that done if he couldn’t fucking see.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 20
Kudos: 125





	Glasses

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to MandyBean from the RWRB discord for the idea and for beta-ing and for the short epilogue. I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you enjoy!

“ _ Fuck! _ ” Alex said, tossing his glasses in the direction of his desk and scrubbing a hand over his face. Law school had always been difficult, but he was pretty sure all his professors had banded together to murder him this week. He picked up his coffee mug and went to take a sip, only to realize it was empty. With a groan, he stood up to head into the kitchen and was met with a sickening crack as he put his foot down. He froze, and then he slowly picked up his foot and looked down. “Fuck,” he repeated. His glasses were laying in pieces on the carpet, the frames bent beyond recognition, one arm snapped off and one lens popped out. He had an essay due at midnight, a midterm tomorrow, and a debate to prepare for as well. He was going to have a hell of a time getting all that done if he  _ couldn’t fucking see. _

He debated his options. Going to LensCrafters to get them fixed would be a whole production. He’d have to get security, and he did not have a few hours to spare from doing homework. It looked like he was going to have to Harry Potter this shit. He’d make an appointment for the weekend. In the meantime, he was sure he could get them to be wearable. He hardly ever wore them in public anyway, so it would be fine. 

It was a minor struggle to pop the lens back in, and then he tried to manhandle them back into a shape that somewhat resembled the correct one. Then it was time for the  pièce de résistance, the tape to reattach the arm that had snapped off. He put the finished product onto his face. They were incredibly lopsided, neither side fitting over his ear very well. The tape was scratchy and uncomfortable against the side of his head, and he could see the edge in the corner of his vision. Whatever. It didn’t need to be perfect, it just needed to be enough that he could see the pages in front of him. He moved back into the study, sat down at his desk, and promptly realized he’d forgotten the coffee. That was a necessity if he was going to survive the rest of the day, so he dragged himself back to the kitchen to refill his mug. By the time he made it back to his desk to work, a headache was forming right behind his eyes. The lopsidedness of the glasses gave his vision a slightly funky appearance, and it was not working for him. He closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths and a sip of coffee, and did his best to ignore his aching eyes. He woke up his laptop and attempted to write a paragraph on the  _ Loving v. Virginia _ Supreme Court case, but the words were swimming in and out of focus. Three sentences in and the pounding in his head had intensified to the point where he couldn’t concentrate. Groaning, Alex took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. Maybe he could just do this without the glasses. He’d just have to squint a little. It would be fine. It only took another five minutes for him to determine that it was not, in fact, fine. Trying to read his textbook and look at his computer screen without the glasses was even worse than the lopsided glasses, and his headache was nearing migraine status.

This wasn’t going to work. Maybe he should just suck it up and call Cash to take him to the store. He’d be a lot more productive once he could see again, and he’d just pull an all-nighter if he had to. Henry wouldn’t approve, but Henry wasn’t the boss of him. Plus, if he made it there and back before Henry got home from the shelter, he would never have to endure any teasing about how he looked in the taped together frames or any excess guilt about being so careless. With a sigh, he pulled out his phone and typed out a text.

Forty-five minutes later he was sitting in LensCrafters with Cash, the woman behind the counter examining his frames.

“How did you manage to break them so badly?” she asked, sounding intrigued.

Alex glared down at the table. “I . . . dropped a book on them.”

The woman gave him a look as if she didn't buy that for a second. “Alright, well, these are broken beyond repair. I’m going to need to order you a new pair, and it should be here in about a week. How does that sound?”

Alex looked up in alarm. “A week? I can’t make it through tonight without them. Don’t you have any other frames here? The lenses aren’t broken, so I figured you could just, you know, snap them into a new frame.”

“We really only keep the sample frames here, and each one takes a differently shaped lens. We never sell the frames in the store.”

“Can you please just see if you have any that are the right size? I’d really appreciate it,” Alex said.

“Fine, I can look, but no promises,” she said. She stood up and began examining the wall of frames behind her. Then she turned back to look at his glasses again. After an unsuccessful couple minutes, she turned to her computer, manicured nails clacking away at the keys. After a moment she stopped typing, pursed her lips, and glanced back at the wall. She appeared to be debating something.

“Did you find something?” Alex asked impatiently. The woman turned back to him.

“Well, we don’t have your exact frames. But we do have one pair that takes the same size lenses.”

“Great! What’s the issue?” Alex said.

She walked down to the end of the wall and pulled a pair of frames from the display. Alex couldn’t tell what they were until she walked back and placed them on the counter in front of him.

“These are the frames,” she said.

Alex stared at them. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

She shook her head. “I’m afraid this is all I have. Would you like them?”

Alex turned back to Cash, who appeared to be fighting off a laugh.

“I don’t think I have much of a choice,” Alex said. “Fine. I’ll take them. But please put in an order for a new pair of my frames.”

“Of course,” the woman said. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She took his mangled glasses and the new frames and disappeared into a back room.

She emerged a couple minutes later with the frames and told Alex to try them on. He did so. 

“I just need to make a few adjustments,” the woman said, fighting to keep a straight face. She reached up to touch them.

“I think they’re a good look on you,” Cash put in from behind him, and Alex twisted in his seat to glare at him. He was met with a stab of pain in his left eye. The woman yanked her hands back.

“I’m sorry!” she said. “You can’t move while I’m adjusting your glasses.”

“Or I’ll get poked in the eye,” Alex grumbled. “Got it. This day just gets better and better.”

She finished up the adjustments and Alex paid for the frames as well as for the new ones he’d ordered. She handed him a case and he hastily stuffed the glasses into it. One perk of coming here had been to avoid Henry’s teasing, but apparently that wasn’t going to work out. He’d just have to be careful to hide them until the new ones came in.

Back at home, an Advil and the new glasses having reduced the pain in his head to a dull, barely noticeable ache, Alex was once again fully immersed in his essay writing. So immersed, in fact, that he didn’t notice how much time had passed until he heard footsteps outside the open study door.

“Hey, love, I’m home, do you–” Henry cut off abruptly as he entered the room and took in Alex’s face. Alex’s cheeks turned red as he tried to yank off the glasses. But Henry was faster, grabbing both of Alex’s wrists in his hands. “Why are you wearing pink flowery glasses? Not that they don’t look wonderful on you, they’re just not exactly your style.”

“Shut up,” Alex mumbled. “I’ve been having a very shitty day. My professors are trying to kill me, and then I stepped on my fucking glasses, and then I tried to tape them together but they were giving me a headache, and I tried working without them but that made it worse, so I went to the store, and these were the only frames they had that would fit my lenses, so you better shut up about it.”

Henry released Alex’s wrists and slid into his lap, straddling him and bringing his hands up to cup Alex’s face. He pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead and then one to his lips.

“I’m sorry it’s been such a bad day. And I promise I won’t make fun of you.” Alex pressed his face into Henry’s chest. “Much,” Henry added, earning him a shove. He laughed. “Kidding. You look beautiful in anything you wear, darling. Even if it's bright pink flowery glasses.”

“You’re the worst,” Alex mumbled into his chest.

“Yes, yes,” Henry said, running his fingers through Alex’s hair. “Anyway, it’s getting late and I’m going to venture a guess that you haven’t had anything to eat. Do you want to join me for some dinner? I was just going to heat up the leftovers from yesterday.”

Alex pulled back. “Can’t. I have to finish this essay by midnight, and then I need to study.” Henry sighed, pressed one last kiss against Alex’s lips, and stood up.

“I’ll bring you some food in a bit.”

Alex didn’t feel particularly hungry, but he also knew better than to argue with Henry about this. It was a fight he always lost. He turned back to his laptop as Henry left the room, closing the door gently behind him. He could have sworn only a couple minutes had passed before Henry was back with a plate of leftover enchiladas, which he placed silently on the one empty patch of desk. He exchanged Alex’s mug of coffee for a glass of water, pressed a soft kiss to Alex’s hair, and left.

An hour later the essay was finished and Alex decided to alot himself a couple minutes to stretch his legs before moving on to the next task. He found Henry in the living room, and Henry stood up when he entered to come and wrap his arms around Alex’s waist.

“Are you all done?” Henry asked, and Alex snorted in response.

“Done my essay. Still need to study for my midterm.”

Henry frowned. “Well, on the bright side I get a few more hours of you in these.” He reached up and pulled Alex’s glasses off his face to examine them closer.

Alex grabbed them back. “I am leaving.” Henry grabbed his arm and tugged him back as he made to walk away. 

“Don’t stay up too late, okay? Sleep is important.”

“Eh, sleep is overrated,” Alex replied, and Henry rolled his eyes. “I’ll try,” Alex amended. “Love you.” He went back to the study and opened up his notes.

\-------------------------

It was nearly two in the morning when Alex finally slipped into bed next to his boyfriend. Henry rolled closer, blinking sleepily up at Alex.

“No glasses?” he murmured.

“I will withhold cuddles,” Alex threatened.

Henry made a face and pulled Alex into his chest. “Well, we can’t have that. But, for the record, you look adorable in them.”

“I’m always adorable,” Alex mumbled, voice already thick with sleep.

Henry kissed his curls. “That you are.”

\-----------------------

Nearly ten years later, Alex came home late from a trial to find his husband standing at their kitchen island grinning down at his phone.

“Whatcha looking at?” Alex asked, greeting Henry with a peck on the cheek. 

“The kids were playing dress up today. They raided the entire house to find costumes.” Henry tipped his phone so Alex could see it. Beaming back at him was their five year old daughter in a sparkly princess dress and an all-too-familiar pair of pink flowery glasses.

Alex stared at the photo. “You better not have told her those were mine.”

“She asked why we had them, so I told her that her father had very interesting taste when he was younger," Henry said.

Alex shook his head, laughing, and gave Henry a playful shove. "Very funny."

**Author's Note:**

> Drop a comment and let me know what you think!


End file.
